Colleges are creating
“quiet revolution” in B.C.

Community colleges are creating a
‘‘Quiet Revolution’’ in higher education in
B.C., A.H. Glenesk, principal of Capilano
College, told the Vancouver Rotary Club.

‘“The public two-year community college
system in B.C. has changed our way of
living, our job training goals, our personal
financial planning for our families and even
created an involvement in a continuing
education program for life,’’ he said.

Mr. Glenesk said that ten years after the
establishment of colleges was proposed in
the Macdonald report on higher education
in B.C., there are now nine community
colleges in the province with a total
enrolment of more than 14,000. This
represents close to half the number of
students in provincial universities. Many
of the colleges were also recording an
annual enrolment increase of at least 25
percent, a figure considerably above
present university increases.

UNIQUELY DIFFERENT

Mr. Glenesk said colleges are uniquely
different to universities or the high
schools. ‘‘Colleges are the focal point of a
total education picture. They are offering a
wide range of programs, including transfer
programs, to the provincial universities
and to BCIT; career programs geared
directly to the professions, community
service programs and continuing education
courses.

““College faculty, unlike their university
counterparts, are hired primarily to teach
and that their main objective is to enhance
learning environment for the students.”’

Healso referred to other advantages of
the colleges to the students, such as much
smaller classes than universities, close
faculty-student contact, intensive

counselling services, the low tuition costs,
community locationand semester system.

Mr. Glenesk said statistics show that
college students who go on to university
from community colleges are doing very
well in their studies.

UBC STUDY

He quoted figures from a recent UBC
research study on college students, which
showed that in the case of Capilano College,
71 percent ofits students entering the first
year of the academic transfer program
were also qualified to meet the entrance
requirements of the universities; that the
average ability level of these same
students was only four percentage points
below the level for first year students at
UBC, and that the Capilano College
students who had transferred to UBC were
performing above the average of their
fellow UBC students.

“‘In the college career programs, which
are not transferable to the universities,
more than 80 percent of the graduates have
been finding employment related to their
program and the percentage is steadily
improving in spite of poor employment
conditions,’’ he said.

One of the college’s major problems,
said Glenesk, is that because they are
reliant on local monies for part of their
funds (both capital and operating costs are
shared 60 percent provincial and 40
percent locally) they are caught up in the
current public reaction against education
expenditure.

REFERENDA FAILURE
He referred to the failure of capital
referenda for some provincial colleges and
recommended that the provincial
government should provide 100 percent of
the capital funds for the public colleges.

“Tf this does not come about there is a
possibility of the ‘Quiet Revolution’ being
stifled through failure of local referenda.”’

Mr. Glenesk also suggested that the
colleges should have representation on the
Academic Board, the provincial body which
advises the minister on standards at the
universities and colleges.

He also said that either amendments to
the college sections of the Public School
Act or even a separate college act ‘‘are
needed to clarify the status and operation of
the colleges.’’

Soles to speak at
graduation May 30

A. E. Soles, Superintendent of Post-Secondary Services for the B.C.
Department of Education, will be the guest speaker at college graduation

exercises on Tuesday, May 30.

The ceremonies which will be heldat Frank Baker’s starting at 8:30
will include presentation of diplomas and certificates and the Governor-
General’s silver medal for the top student.

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